Hoping for glowing skin on your big day? Read on for the ultimate skin tutorial for blushing brides

Planning a wedding should be one of the best times in your life. And while the past two years have really thrown a spanner in the works for everyone either planning a wedding or having to reschedule their special day, hopefully, that can all be left in the past, and your wedding planning can surge full steam ahead. After all, you want to get fully immersed and excited with the build-up and special times ahead, right?

There are literally no rules for how you should plan your wedding, but it may well start with some Pinterest and Instagram scrolling to gauge what vibe, theme and aesthetic you want to have—followed by researching the dream venue that will house your vision. And then finally, by choosing the special people you want to have around you as part of your bridal party.

Next comes the finer details: aka, the things that will make you feel your absolute best in the lead up to and on the day of your wedding. From picking the perfect dress, booking your favourite photographer, and finding your dream makeup artist, this is your chance to truly indulge. And while we’re talking about bridal makeup, there is honestly nothing better than having the most flawless canvas for it – your skin. Although you probably have a beauty list nearly the length of your arm, it all starts with beautiful skin.

With all the planning involved in weddings, it can be hard to keep on top of exactly when everything needs doing, and sometimes certain things may be forgotten or taken off the priority list. Here is your reminder that your skin should NOT be one of them.

Prepping your skin for your big day should be something you start to think about anywhere from 6-12 months in advance, depending on your goals, budget and needs. Even though it is another timescale to factor in, it is 100% something you won’t regret doing. Once I have your initial consultation completed, you can hand the timeline and plans for your skincare over to me, so you can focus on the other things that need your attention.

Why can your skin suffer pre-wedding?

The build-up to a wedding is usually full of happy, exciting events and milestones. But even the most chilled out brides can find planning a wedding quite stressful and overwhelming in ways that can affect our skin without us even realising.

How stress affects our body and skin is different for each person. It can manifest as acne breakouts, dull and tired-looking skin and even flare up any chronic issues like rosacea and psoriasis. Feeling stressed can even affect our skincare routine. If we feel tired, sluggish and run-down, we may not want to do our full skincare regime, which will change how our skin looks and feels. But don’t worry, that’s why I am going to talk through my top tips for prepping your skin to get you feeling like the glowy, beautiful bride that you are!

12-6 month Wedding Countdown | Perfect Your Skin Regime

Most brides will have seen the wedding countdown checklists online. Venue? Book 24 months in advance. Dress shopping? 18 months. Book Makeup Artist/Hair Stylist, Photographer? 12 months in advance. But what about our skin prep?

Ideally, we want to start our treatments and regime 6-12 months before the ‘Big Day’. This gives your skin optimum time to get used to any new products that may be recommended and benefit from the treatments you get in the lead up to your big day. While there are plenty of quick fixes, tricks and last-minute hacks to help with glowy, hydrated skin, nothing beats having a personalised skin regime and treatment plan in the months leading up to your wedding to give you the perfect base for your bridal makeup. Here are the eight tips that I suggest to my brides to get their skin wedding-ready.

1. Set up an appointment with your skin specialist

Firstly, the best thing to do at the start of your wedding skincare prep is to book a consultation with your skin specialist so you can get a plan in place and review your at-home routine. Professional treatments go hand-in-hand with your at-home skincare regime, and talking them through makes sure that both parts complement one another, keeping your skin on track in the salon and at home.

You can book an initial FREE consultation with me and we can discuss what is best for you based on your wants and needs and timeline.

2. Treat yourself to regular professional facials

A good skincare routine that you do at home is vital to maintain glowing, healthy skin, but some treatments and products can only be used by a professional: these will change your skin for the better. Specialised and bespoke facials performed regularly will ensure that any specific skin concerns are being targeted and corrected. Regular check-ins with your skin specialist will also allow you to talk through your skincare products and home routine to ensure it is all on track, and if not, make any adjustments where needed.

3. Skip the wine and hydrate, hydrate, HYDRATE!

Getting married is no longer a one-day event. First is the engagement party, then the dress shopping lunch, followed by bridal showers, hen parties and many more celebrations along the way. As there should be! It is such a special time and deserves to be celebrated and enjoyed to the fullest, but all the extra partying can take a toll on our skin. A glass of champagne here and a bottle of wine there can leave our skin feeling dehydrated and looking dull and tired. While I’m not saying to cut out alcohol completely, ensuring you stay on top of your water intake, and up your consumption when needed will massively help to counterbalance the effects of alcohol.

4. Try out new treatments

Between 6-12 months is an optimum time to start your wedding skin prep as it gives you enough time to incorporate any new skincare products and start professional treatments as part of your routine. Also, some professional treatments need a little downtime/recovery time based on what they entail, such as some chemical skin peels and skin needling treatments. Giving yourself enough time to do these treatments in advance of the wedding means you will have enough time to recover fully and see the benefits and improvements before your big day.

5. Eat your way to beautiful skin

If you read my last blog, you’ll know how vital gut health is for our skin’s appearance and overall health. Everything we consume manifests in various ways in our bodies and skin. By eating nourishing and nutritious food and supplementing with high-quality food supplements, we feel healthier and more energised, and our skin benefits hugely too.

6. Start introducing professional skincare to your regime

With any new professional treatments or products, we need to allow enough time for your skin to get used to them, and you need to give new skincare products time to work. Ideally, consider starting a new skincare regime at least six to twelve months before your wedding. So, for any summer 2022 brides, now is the time for me to look at which professional skincare brands will work best for you based on your skin concerns and budget.

7. Exfoliate and brighten

There is nothing nicer than glowing skin for all your special events leading up to your wedding day. Gentle exfoliation in moderation helps regenerate new cells, remove dead skin from the surface, and promote natural collagen. Ensuring we exfoliate our skin correctly stops our skin from being dry, dull and flaky and helps to brighten. It also increases the penetration of topical products. However, my advice is to leave this part to me. Too much over-exfoliation can cause the reverse of what you are trying to achieve. If you are trying to do this on your own, it is possible to end up with dry, dull, flaky skin. Just what you don’t want on your big day!

8. Minimise trying new products

A month before your wedding, you should try not to introduce any new products to your regime, This will minimise any side effects you may experience. You really don’t want to be stressed in the last few weeks leading up to your big day with spots or sore irritated skin! By this time though, you should be seeing glowing results, which will heavily reduce the need to incorporate anything further. A powerful but gentle hydrating home treatment masque would be of benefit to performing regularly in the week leading up to your big day…and I can help you with that too!  I have some very effective hydrating masques just for that added dewy plumpness.

Ready to kickstart your pre-wedding skincare regime?

I hope all of this makes you feel at ease and in control of your bridal skincare and excited to get your prep started. So, whether your wedding is in the summer or you’re a winter bride, get in touch now to book your FREE consultation so we can work out a timeline and a plan that best suits your needs and goals for the best skin you can have on your wedding day….and beyond!